Chapter Text
The train ride had been much the same, long and for the most part boring. It was your third year and it seemed everyone in your year was pestering you about what electives you had picked, as if you hadn’t told them at the end of your second year.
“What electives are you taking Viktor?” You asked, he was the only one who hadn’t answered. He seemed to snap out of whatever he was thinking about.
“I’m eh, taking a few.” He didn’t clarify what he was taking, which you thought was odd. But he was smart so it was likely that he was taking more than required.
“A few too many.” Jayce crossed his arms.
Although you didn’t know what classes you would be sharing, you hoped you’d have at least once with Viktor. He was in Ravenclaw and you were in Slytherin, so there was already a barrier between you. Not to mention quidditch trials were going to take up a lot of your time. You hadn’t made it onto the team before, but Jayce had offered to help you practice. Although Jayce was a beater and you wanted to be a seeker.
“I heard you’re trying out for seeker.” Vi approached you as you made your journey to the castle. Jayce and Vi had made the team in the previous years, Vi being a keeper.
“Thought I’d give it a go.” You said.
“Good luck then, I heard Slytherins try outs are brutal.” Vi patted you on the back. Of course, none of your friends were in Slytherin apart from Jinx who was banned from playing quidditch after… the incident. Jayce was a Ravenclaw, but had kindly offered to help you prepare for tryouts, despite knowing you would be playing against each other.
“Quidditch is a brutal game in itself, can you handle it?” Viktor had asked you. You thought you could, you’d always wanted to try out for the team. Of course there was always a risk of injury, but every class at Hogwarts had some kind of risk to it.
“We’ll see.” You gave him a smirk, but he seemed genuinely concerned. Which was understandable, seeing how Jayce had been injured in the past. But it was all part of the game really.
Dumbledore gave his usual welcome speech, welcoming first years and informing students where they could and couldn’t go. The third floor, the forbidden forest and other places that you had already been too. When you and your friends were told not to go somewhere, somehow you always ended up there.
Classes began, your first elective being care of magical creatures. This was the most important class for you since you wanted to pursue it as a career. Vi attempted to talk to you the whole class, about how she regretted picking divination. But you were trying to drown her out, needing to focus on what Professor Kettleburn was saying.
“Sorry I’m late.” Viktor whispered, practically appearing out of nowhere and sitting on the desk beside you. That snapped you out of the lesson.
“I thought you’d be in Arithmancy?” You asked, Viktor looked as if he was trying not to laugh or that he was keeping something a secret.
“I was.” He said, simply.
“But how? That class is still running for another hour no?” You checked your watch.
“Something you wish to share with the class?” The Professor glared at you, now you were in trouble. Professor Kettleburn loved to make an example of those not paying attention. “Why don’t you come up here?” He asked, gesturing for you to join him and the creature.
You tucked your hair behind you ear and stood in front of the class, Viktor shook his head at you in a joking way. You tried to avoid his gaze, The Professor was going to try and embarrass you to make an example of why students should be listening in class. But you sure as hell weren’t going to let him.
“Tell me, what creature is this?” He gestured to the creature that was on his desk. It was in a rather big enclosure full of tree branches. The class was laughing, he had told you what the creature was earlier but you were too distracted by Viktor’s sudden appearance.
You were going to have to rely on your own knowledge, which you hoped was enough. First of all, it had smooth mottled skin and resembled a cross between a monkey and frog. Second of all it had razor sharp teeth and was clearly a tree dwelling creature. Thirdly, earlier in the class the professor has mentioned something about it first being discovered in America. After a few moments of silence, the professor was about to tell you the answer. But you had already narrowed down your options to one creature.
“It’s a Clabbert.” You cut off the professor before he could speak. He glared at you for a moment, you thought you had gotten it wrong.
“Very good. This creature is a Clabbert. However, if you had been listening you would have known that immediately.” He chalked something up on the board. “Ten points deducted from Slytherin House, for your lack of listening skills.”
The other Slytherin students sighed and gave you a shake of their head. How was that fair? You thought. After all you had gotten the answer correct.
As the weeks went by you began to notice something. Viktor appearing in classes that he wasn’t supposed to be in. Somehow he could be in ancient runes, but also in divination. Which didn’t make sense because they ran at the same time. But whenever you questioned him about it he would just give you some cryptic non-answer or completely change the topic.
“I just don’t get it? How can you be in two places at once?” You asked him.
“Who says I am?” Viktor gave you that same cryptic answer, followed by a smile before completely changing the topic to your upcoming quidditch try out. He was hiding something, whatever it was you were going to figure it out. He was probably breaking some kind of rule, but he would always tell you when he was. You were rebels together, so why was he being so mysterious?